# CVE-2021-24961: WordPress File Upload < 4.16.3 - Contributor+ Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Shortcode

> Contributors can inject malicious scripts via unescaped shortcode arguments in the WordPress File Upload plugin, leading to stored XSS.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 7 Mar 2022
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-v8xx-gxhg-qqpr

## What is CVE-2021-24961?

CVE-2021-24961 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Unknown WordPress File Upload, published on 7 Mar 2022. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

The WordPress File Upload WordPress plugin before 4.16.3, wordpress-file-upload-pro WordPress plugin before 4.16.3 does not escape some of its shortcode argument, which could allow users with a role as low as Contributor to perform Cross-Site Scripting attacks

Weakness: CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-24961?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Iptanus Wordpress File Upload, Iptanus Wordpress File Upload Pro.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-24961?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-24961 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-24961 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-24961 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Unknown WordPress File Upload

- [CVE-2024-11613](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-11613/): Code injection in Iptanus File Upload (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-11635](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-11635/): WordPress File Upload <= 4.24.12 - Unuathenticated Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-9047](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9047/): The WordPress File Upload plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Path Traversal in all versions up to, and including, 4.24.11 via wfu_file_downloader.php. (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2020-10564](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-10564/): Path traversal in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-24962](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-24962/): WordPress File Upload < 4.16.3 - Contributor+ Path Traversal to RCE (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-24961 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-24961 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Unknown WordPress File Upload, published on 7 Mar 2022. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-24961 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Unknown WordPress File Upload. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-24961/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-24961/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-24961
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-24961
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-24961

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-24961/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.